Teen social issues - Essay Example

Teen Social Issues From age 13 to 18 people go through a very important stage of their lives, the transitional period from childhood to adulthood, when they look for their identity, the goal and meaning of their lives, learn to cope with authority, clarify their sexual roles, and most of – search for their place in this world. It is not, therefore, surprising that there are many issues that teens face that are troubling for the adults and for the teens themselves. Among them are drug and alcohol abuse, sex and pregnancy, bullying, depression and suicide, eating disorders, etc. Drug abuse There are few factors that may influence teenagers to try drugs. They are, first of all, peer pressure, then – curiosity, and the availability of drugs, which is growing with every year. The consequence of drug addiction in teenagers is depression, and even suicide. Peer pressure is the most decisive factor for adolescents. It can be positive or negative, depending on the social group the person belongs to. The desire to fit into the group is vital for teenagers, so they would do whatever it takes to be part of it, be it drugs, alcohol, drunk driving or anything else. Even if the teenager will not like drugs after trying them the first time, if everybody around uses them, he will do that too, so he would be considered cool by his friends. Nowadays, teenagers consider drugs to be acceptable phenomenon. They start using drugs for fun or recreation, because LSD, marijuana, Ecstasy and others are available. The teens do not realize when this fun starts to turn into addiction. Many teenagers consider the first use of drugs to be safe, but most of them keep experimenting further and soon they already start to search for pleasure and the “high” feelings that drugs bring. The most common drug among the teenagers is Ecstasy, or just “E”. The academic name for this drug is halluninogenic stimulant. “E's are usually involved in rave parties; people take E's and dance all night. The academic name for E is hallucinogenic stimulant. It generally affects the concentration of the brain, and it can change one's mood, sleep, sexual behavior, body temperature, and appetite. The sensations of sight, sound, and touch are enhanced. That's why it's usually used at discos and parties. It takes about 30 to 40 minutes to "get high" and about three to four hours to wear off. Side effects include heart and blood pressure problems, blurred vision, chills and sweating.” (Parents for Accountability, http://www.parents4accountability.com/) Teens, who use drugs, start by abusing certain substances, and it can turn easily into addiction. In fact, some strong drugs, like crack or heroin, can be used only once in order for a person to become addicted to them. “Being physically addicted means a person's body actually becomes dependent on a particular substance (even smoking is physically addictive). It also means building tolerance to that substance, so that a person needs a larger dose than ever before to get the same effects.” (Teens’ Health. Drugs and Alcohol) The line between abuse and addiction is very thin. When a person starts using drugs not in order to get high or have fun, but because he became dependent on the drug, then it is the sure sign of addiction. According to Michele Van Vranken (Teens’ Health) physical and psychological signs of addiction are as follows: Psychological signals: use of drugs or alcohol as a way to forget problems or to relax withdrawal or keeping secrets from family and friends loss of interest in activities that used to be important problems with schoolwork, such as slipping grades or absences changes in friendships, such as hanging out only with friends who use drugs spending a lot of time figuring out how to get drugs stealing or selling belongings to be able to afford drugs failed attempts to stop taking drugs or drinking anxiety, anger, or depression mood swings Physical signals: changes in sleeping habits feeling shaky or sick when trying to stop needing to take more of the substance to get the same effect changes in eating habits, including weight loss or gain (Michel Van Vranken, 2011, http://kidshealth.org/teen/) Alcohol The main question that needs to be asked is why teenagers drink. The major role here is played by peer pressure, trying to be cool and adult-like. Movies and television also play their part, but not so much as peers. Teenagers feel pressure from everybody around them, and trying to escape from stress, they do what adults around them do – they drink alcohol, because that is what they see adults in stress situations do – both in their home and on the movie screens. Teens try drinking alcohol the first time to see how it tastes like. They also think that driving in the state of drunkenness is cool. What teenagers do not know is that alcohol will hurt them in the long run. Unfortunately, there is no real cure for alcoholism, the most effective way is prevention. Teenagers do not understand what alcoholism is and they think that this could never happen to them. If the teens are showing signs of the alcoholism, it is better to start some kind of rehabilitation program straight away. “Effective ways of dealing with teen drinking and driving are formal treatment. Teens can be taken to visit a Rehabilitation center, which is a process of putting the treatment plan into action. It consist of (1) education, (2) group therapy, (3) life story, (4) individual therapy, (5) peer assessment, (6) recreational therapy, (7) coping skills and relaxation therapy, (8) support group attendance, and (9) spirituality.” (Teen Social Issues, http://kidshealth.org/teen/) If the parents have open lines of communication with their teen, it is always easier to prevent alcohol problems, because in this case the teen is more likely to listen to parents and not fall into peer pressure. Teens are looking to escape from their problems by drinking alcohol, but they should be explained to that drinking can bring even more problems, including troubles with the law. Drunk driving is becoming bigger and bigger problem all over the world. Teenagers, on their part, think that it is cool to drink and drive. Alcohol slows brain function, so it effects all drivers. Criminal statistics from drunk driving is growing. Teen sex and pregnancy Coming into teenage years, people for the first time explore their sexuality and are searching for romantic relationships. This comes not easy for them, because teenagers are not mature enough to deal with the emotional issues that relationships bring with them. Romantic relationship seems to be the most important thing in the world, so if something does not work out it seems like the whole world is crumbling. Still, it is important for the teens to go through relationships, whether successful or not, to make certain mistakes, in order to figure out the best way to have successful relationship when they grow up. The logical continuation of romantic relationships is sex. This is one of the biggest issues for them. “There are so many questions and concerns teens may have about sex including condom use, contraceptives, abstinence, saying no to peer pressure, preventing the spread of sexually transmitted infections as well as preventing unintended teen pregnancy.” (Teen Depression) There are a lot of online resources for subjects like this, but most important is for the parents to talk to their children. This is when having trusting and loving relationship of a parent with the teenager comes into play. Teenagers need to be taught to make conscious decisions in their lives, such as when to have sex, how not to be pressured into sex, etc. Different sex education programs are needed to help adolescents come to terms with this issues, as well as inform about such issues as safe sex, contraception, etc. But most effective would be combining the efforts of sex education problems with parental involvement into teens’ lives. One of the most important things that teens need to be taught if they decide to have sex, is that it means they also have to take responsibility to protect themselves from pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, which can be the consequences of unprotected sex. A lot of public schools teach about abstinence from sex, rather than about proper birth control, therefore it is the parents’ responsibility to teach their teenagers about safe sex. Even though most parents are probably against their children having sex during teen years, but it is better to teach them about safety measures rather than ignore the possibility of their teenager having sex with his peers. As the statistics shows: “13 percent of teens have sexy by the time they turn 15 years old. However, most teens initiate sex in their later teen years before age 19. By that time, about seven in 10 males and females have had sexual intercourse. The average age for most first-time intercourse experiences take place at age 17.” (Teenage Depression, http://www.teendepression.org/) Sex is another area in which teenagers have enormous peer pressure. It seems to them that the whole school is talking about losing virginity, and that they are the only ones left who are virgin. Sometimes teenagers think that the only way to fit into the peer group is to lose their virginity. It is important for parents to explain to their children that most of these talks are just talks and they do not have any actual background behind them, so there is no point in rushing in this matter, because most of the people really are just talking about it, and not doing. Though a person’s body might feel ready for sex, but it is great emotional responsibility, too, that teens are simply not ready for at such an age. Moral factors are important for teens, though it may not seem so. That is why bringing the kids up the right way is up to the parents. Family values and religious beliefs do help the teenagers to resist the pressure from peers. Bullying “Bullying is when a person is picked on over and over again by an individual or group with more power, either in terms of physical strength or social standing.” (Teens Health) Bullying is a very serious problem that teens face, but because adults do not see it very often, they do not realize how serious it can be. Two of the main reasons why teens are bullied are because of social status and appearance. Teenager, who for some reason do not fit in into typical teen society due to race or religion, or due to being shy and withdrawn, or if somebody thinks they are gay or lesbian, are often picked on by bullies. (Teens Health, http://kidshealth.org/teen/) Bullying can be physical (starting from punching or hitting, and finishing with sexual assault), or psychological, when teens are gossiped about, and verbally insulted. There is also cyberbulling, which involves sending cruel SMSs, or posting insulting things about the person on the internet. Suffering from being put down and bullied, teens start living in a constant state of fear. Sometimes even physical problems can result from that, such as stomach pains, etc. There is also a risk of having mental problems, such as depression, anxiety, low self-esteem and stress. If a parent feels that his teen is being bullied at school, he definitely should take some measures. First of all, the teenager needs to be talked to about what is going on, get the information in order to address the authorities about it. The parent then can talk to the school principle or other people in charge. Teachers and principals most likely are unaware about bullying going on and they need to be informed. The no bullying rule should be created. Parent should teach a teen to avoid situations that might lead to bullying, for example, avoid being alone, stay in the company of friends as much as possible. If bullying takes place in certain situations (like in the locker room), ask the teen to change their routine. Bullying is the problem for the bullies themselves too. Violence at school grows into further violence and can often lead to teenagers turning into real criminals in the future. Most bullies are insecure on the inside, though they appear cool and strong on the outside. They have poor social skills, and they try to establish themselves as the personalities at the expense of other people and showing domination over them. Sometimes bullies act the way they do, because they have been bullied themselves in the past, or are being bullied by the adults, for example, abusive parents. Depression and suicide Depression is a mental illness and it affects more and more teenagers. The emotional changes the adolescents undergo with age are oftentimes too much for them to cope with, and therefore lead to depression. It is difficult for teenagers to deal with the struggles themselves, therefore they need professional help, and sometimes antidepressant medications. Every teenager experiences his share of mood swings or emotional turmoil, but sometimes it does turn into real depression, and parents need to be aware of the signs of it in order to help their teens to cope with it. Parents must be on the lookout for signs of depression; among them are (Teen Depression, http://www.teendepression.org/): Rebelliousness; Becoming withdrawn Insomnia, or on the opposite end – excessive sleep Inability to maintain friendships Skipping school, not doing homework Severe weight loss or weight gain Because teen depression is becoming more common, there are a lot of psychologists and professional therapists that can help the adolescents to cope with their problems. Parents need to be the ones to take their teen to the weekly therapy sessions. If this does not help, then sometimes teenagers need to be put on the course of antidepressant medications. In any case, this is the parents’ responsibility and major role to help their teenagers cope with the complicated period of their lives. Every year thousands of teens die of suicide. Teen suicide is the second largest problem of teenagers after alcohol and drug abuse. There are several reasons for teen suicide, but the most important are family issues – misunderstandings with parents, and socializing issues – misunderstandings with peers and problems with fitting in into the teen society. “Broken homes, sexual violence, substance abuse are the causes of teen suicide.” (Teen Social Issues, http://kidshealth.org/teen/) Using highly addictive drugs, such as opium, cocaine, heroin, very often results in depression in teenagers. The side effects of drugs, apart from being harmful for the health, are mood swings, nervous breakdowns, unusual flares of temper, etc. These are all side effects of drug abuse and symptoms of depression. Drug addiction also leads to social isolation, when a teen escapes contact with parents, is being unsociable and reserved. Therefore, the teens see no way out, they feel lonely and like nobody cares, and that there is no way out of their problems. They feel like there is nobody to talk to and this feeling leads to depression, and furthermore – to the attempts of suicide. According to Kathryn Rudlin (Witmer.D, para 10) there are several myths about teen suicide that need to be paid attention to and avoided. First of all, adults think that if a teen threatens to commit a suicide, he is just looking for attention. This is not true, and a teen needs to be carefully listened to if he has such thoughts. Secondly, the common fear is that asking a teenager about considering suicide will make him do so. On the contrary, this will be a relief for him, if he knows someone understands and listens. Another myth is that teen looks depressed before committing suicide. But the opposite can be also true, when the teen seems happy and content, but still can be contemplating the thought. Teenagers usually commit suicide on impulse, when something has happened that makes them do so. It seems to them that suicide is the only way out. Adults think that suicide is not very common in teenagers, but this is the third leading cause of death among teens. Parents are the first and the main ones to prevent suicide in their adolescents, so they should be very alert to what their child is saying and how he behaves. Parents should demonstrate their openness to free communication and willingness to listen. Expressing love and support to the teenagers is vital. Parents should in no case lecture their teen or minimize his feelings, and they should not be afraid to talk to their teenager about suicide, because in many cases teenagers need to realize that they are understood and their troubles are recognized. Eating disorders A big number of teenagers suffer from eating disorders, such as Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia or sometimes binge eating. Teens suffering from these disorders go to great length to control what they are eating, how much they are eating, they exercise excessively. Their bodies are going through the period of change, and they feel too fat in comparison to their peers. Teens feel like they are lacking control in their lives, therefore they try to exercise such control with their physical appearance and weight. Parents should be on the look-out for the signs of eating disorders. The teenagers might show unusual eating habits, be obsessive with what types of food they eat, and the amount of food. They might find different excuses to avoid family dinners or parties where food will be present. The teens would work out excessively and more than usual. They think that they are fat even when they are clearly underweight. Teenagers with bulimia might have problems with their teeth because of the effect of vomiting acid on their teeth. Adolescents with disorders might binge frequently, and eat as much food as they can find, and then throw up. Of course, there is a remarkable weight loss present. Teens eating disorders are serious and can influence the health of a person for the whole life, even after the person was treated from the disorder. People are likely to have problems with heart, kidneys and gallbladder for life. There is also a danger of iron deficiency and having brittle bones, since teenager years are the period of growing. The person’s metabolism can be messed up. There is even death possible for those with serious disorders – from heart failure or malnutrition. There is also a danger of having emotional stress. Parents should be on the look-out for any signs of eating disorders in their teenagers and get professional help as soon as possible. Teens with eating disorders need immediate help of doctors and nutritionist. It is imperative that parents avoid any comments about teens’ weight, for they are taken seriously, and can lead to obsession about weight loss. A parent should make it clear that a teen is loved and supported no matter what. Parents should not make comments about their own body image, and criticize their own weight, because this has very big influence on teenagers. Conclusion Teen social issues will be present in the society as long as teenagers exist, it is not possible to avoid this problems. The main thing for the parents and adults in the society in general is to help the adolescents go through the teen years and the problems that accompany these years as painlessly as possible. The lines of communication with the teenagers should start being built from the early childhood, then when the child is getting older, he is more likely to go to parent with his problem, and to listen to the adults’ advices. The help of professionals is very needed as well. Drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers, prevention programs in schools on such issues as drugs and alcohol, sex and pregnancy, eating disorder, etc. are imperative to have. The future of the country is in the hand of the today’s teenagers, so it is the responsibility of every adult, whether he has teens himself or not, to make sure that the teens’ social issues are solved, and teenagers get as much help from adults as possible. Works Cited Parents for Accountability. n.p, 2003. Web. http://www.parents4accountability.com/ 25 April 2012 Teen Advisor. n.p. n.d. Web. 25 http://www.teensadvisor.com/ April 2012 Teen Depression .n.p. n.d. Web. http://www.teendepression.org/ 25 April 2012 Teen Social Issues. n.p. n.d. Web. http://kidshealth.org/teen/ 25 April 2012 Troubled Teen 101. n.p. n.d. Web. http://www.troubledteen101.com/ 25 April 2012 Witmer Denis. How to Parent Today’s Teen. The New York Times Company, 2012. Web. http://parentingteens.about.com/ 25 April 2012 Read More